Beginnings and Endings and The Stuff In The Middle

I witnessed an absolutely beautiful “beginning” a few days ago as I attended a family member’s wedding and saw the marriage of two wonderful souls. I watched the groom’s eyes light up as he caught his first glimpse of his soon-to-be wife walking down the aisle. I could see and feel the excitement and love in his heart. The two of them were about to begin a new life as a married couple and joy and love were abundant. There was a special freshness in the air we all shared inside that church. It was simply magnificent.

About forty-eight hours later, I witnessed the most uplifting “ending” I could ever imagine as a dear friend’s life was honored and celebrated in a memorial service. I watched as his beloved family and all of us friends struggled to make sense out of his passing. I could see and feel the pain and emptiness in everyone’s heart as well as my own. The air we shared in the space was literally dripping with love and gratitude for his life. He sure did live it! Although his life on earth has ended, he will not be forgotten and he gave all of us a beautiful treasure by the way he lived and loved.

And so it is with beginnings and endings…they give us permission to slow down, take stock and show up with our hearts a little more open. They allow us, actually invite us, to celebrate and share ourselves with others on this journey we call life.

But I think beginnings and endings offer us another opportunity too, and that’s to do even more with the stuff in “the middle.”

Let’s face it, most of our lives are lived in the space between our beginnings and our endings.

So today, because you can, why not do all you can to accept the challenge and make the stuff in the middle of your life, your so-called day-to-day routine, more aligned with the life you’ve always wanted to live?

Why not drop all the pretense and the shoulds and truly honor what your heart longs for?

Why not say “I love you” more and say “no” more when it feels right to do so?

Why not, without apology, let the people and things that are the most important to you BE most important?

Beginnings and endings are part of life for sure. You can choose to create a new beginning for yourself today so that when your ending comes, the celebration of all you did with the middle parts of your life will leave a trail of treasures behind.